Archive for category Advocacy
Owner Intent Should Guide Johns Hopkins University’s Development Plans for Belward Farm
Posted by Preservation Maryland in Advocacy, Montgomery County, Preservation and Your Community, Preservation Stories on March 21, 2013
In 1989, Elizabeth Banks sold the beautiful, historic 138-acre Belward Farm to Johns Hopkins University (JHU) for $5 million. 
At the time, the property was estimated to be worth $54 million. What accounts for the substantially reduced sale price? According to Ms. Banks’ heirs, the sale was contingent upon an agreement with JHU that the majority of the Belward Farm property would serve the university primarily for educational purposes.
By all accounts, Ms. Banks was a staunch preservationist. She is reputed to have resisted the offers of developers for the family’s property for years, even going so far as chasing them off her land. But she apparently had a soft spot in her heart for JHU and the assurance that they would do the right thing, in her eyes, with her family’s property.
In 1997, JHU and the family agreed on a plan to build a 1.4 million-square foot satellite campus on Belward Farm. The plan has since morphed into a 4.7 million square feet high rise commercial office park and high density, residential development. Which brings us to the lawsuit that has recently been filed by the “Family” in Montgomery County Circuit Court?
According to Tim Newell, nephew of Elizabeth Banks and lead plaintiff, “Early in the process, we made known to the University the Family’s objections to its current plans. Instead of working with us to address these concerns, the University has simply maintained that its new plan is not at odds with what my Aunt Elizabeth had in mind,” Newell said. The Family strongly disagrees. It is sad and ironic that Johns Hopkins, the University my Aunt was so fond of, has become the type of developer that she tried so hard to protect the Farm from. It is unsettling to think that a Family with the best of intentions to support a University and preserve a farm of historic importance have had their legal rights and donative intent ignored by the gift’s recipient, Johns Hopkins University.”
In 2010, Preservation Maryland, along with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and local historic preservation organizations advocated for the preservation of the historic core of the site and the consideration of reduced density development of the farmstead. We further encourage all involved to ultimately consider the wishes of those who owned and protected Belward Farm before its sale. Stay tuned: we’ll keep you updated on court actions going forward.
UPDATE:This blog was first published in January 2012. In October 2012, Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Ronald B. Rubin ruled to remove all development restrictions on the property. The family is appealing the decision. Said Tim Newell after the decision; “Institutions should be required to honor donor intent, and our family intends to fight for Belward Farm, Aunt Liz, and donors around the country who trust that their donations will be used as promised.” The struggle continues…
For the latest information on the Belward Farm case, check the website www.scale-it-back.com.
Marilyn Benaderet/Preservation Services Director
Preservation in Action
Posted by Preservation Maryland in Advocacy, Preservation and Your Community, Preservation Stories, Stories from the Field, Travel on March 8, 2013
Last week preservationists from across the nation came to Washington DC to participate in our annual Lobby Day, which is coordinated by the National Conference for State Historic Preservation Officers and Preservation Action.
I always enjoy the train ride from Baltimore to Washington and bumping into friends and colleagues on their regular commutes to the nation’s capitol. Filing off the train into the grandeur of Union Station and walking across Capitol Hill to the House and Senate office buildings never fails to both impress and inspire me. Talk about the power of place.
Playing the role of a grassroots lobbyist takes both preparation and a fair amount of stamina. This year seven Marylanders, representing the Preservation Maryland, the National Trust, Maryland Historical Trust, Preservation Action, Annapolis Historic District Commission, and University of Maryland Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, split into teams to cover our visits to members of the Maryland delegation. I participated in six visits with House and Senate staffers and calculated that I walked three miles doing so.
Our focus was to ask for support of a $65 million appropriation for the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), which funds the work of the State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices to survey the nation’s historic resources and to administer the tax credit and compliance programs. We also asked for support of the Creating American Prosperity through Preservation Act (CAPP), which would enhance the federal rehabilitation tax credit program to make it usable for smaller Main Street scale projects.
We are very fortunate to have strong leadership and support of historic preservation by members of Maryland’s congressional delegation. Last year Senator Cardin became lead sponsor of the CAPP Act and Senator Mikulski was recently appointed chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, which includes oversight of the HPF. Even so, after the President’s budget and CAPP bill are introduced, we’ll need your help to get them passed. So stay tuned.
Tyler Gearhart
Advocacy Alert! Budget Cuts Proposed. Contact Your Representatives.
Posted by Preservation Maryland in Advocacy, Advocacy Alert, Funding Programs on February 8, 2013
On January 16, Governor O’Malley released his proposed budget for FY2014. This week the Department of Legislative Services (DLS) presented budget recommendations to the Maryland General Assembly subcommittees. DLS recommended a $1.5 million decrease in funding for the Sustainable Communities Rehabilitation Tax Credit program from the Governor’s proposed amount of $10 million.
***If your community benefited from these recent commercial projects or any of the 597 other commercial projects or the 3,650 residential projects throughout the state, contact your representatives and ask them to maintain the Governor’s proposed funding level.
***If you want to see a new rehabilitation project in your community funded with this tax credit, contact your representatives and ask them to maintain the Governor’s proposed funding level.
Sustainable Communities Rehabilitation Tax Credit projects have produced more than $1.7 billion in total direct rehabilitation expenditures by owners and developers, assisted by over $370 million in state tax credits – a nearly fivefold return on Maryland’s investment. This program is good for Maryland and good for historic preservation.
In other historic preservation funding news, DLS recommended maintaining the funding for the African American Heritage Preservation Program ($1 million) and the Maryland Heritage Areas ($3 million)
Take Action!
1) If your representative is listed below as a subcommittee member, please contact them to encourage their support of the $10 million allocation in the Governor’s budget for the Sustainable Communities Rehabilitation Tax Credit program. Otherwise, please contact the committee chairs. Be sure to give examples of tax-credit projects in your community that have benefited from this program.
SENATE
Senate Budget and Taxation Committee: Capital Budget Subcommittee
- Amount in Governor’s Budget:
- $10 million for Sustainable Communities Tax Credit
- Committee Members (Click on the name for contact information)
HOUSE
House Appropriations Committee: Capital Budget Subcommittee
- Amount in Governor’s Budget:
- $10 million for Sustainable Communities Tax Credit
- Committee Members (Click on the name for contact information)
2) Familiarize yourself with the issues. Use the fact sheets on our Advocacy Resource Page to help craft your message to Legislators.
3) To identify your state representatives, click here.
Your voice is crucial to funding these important programs. Thanks for your support!
Tyler Gearhart
Advocacy Alert! General Assembly in Session
Posted by Preservation Maryland in Advocacy, Advocacy Alert, Funding Programs on January 22, 2013
On January 9, 2013, the 433rd session of the Maryland General Assembly convened. During this session the General Assembly will consider many issues including gun control, the death penalty, funding roads and mass transit, rebuilding Baltimore’s aging schools, and the construction of offshore wind turbines. The most immediate issue is passing a FY2014 budget which Governor O’Malley introduced on January 16. Included in the Department of Planning’s budget are three historic preservation programs which will need your action. Future Advocacy Alerts will provide dates and locations for hearings on these programs. Fact sheets which provide information on projects supported by each program and the amount we are asking to be appropriated are available on our advocacy resource page.
- Sustainable Communities Rehabilitation Tax Credit: $10 million (level funding from FY2013)
- Maryland Heritage Areas: $3 million (level funding from FY2013)
- African American Heritage Preservation Grant Program: $1 million (level funding from FY2012)
Take Action!
1) Identify your representatives in the Maryland General Assembly by clicking here.
2) Now that the Governor’s budget was released on January 16, please contact your state senator and delegates to encourage their support of the three programs above. Be sure to give them examples of museums, historic sites, and tax-credit projects in your district which have benefited or could benefit from these programs.
3) Use our fact sheets to familiarize yourself with the issues. Also, familiarize yourself with the legislative process and the way the General Assembly works. Our advocacy page has everything you need to begin supporting preservation legislation and budget issues in Maryland. Among the resources are a description of the legislative process, important dates to remember, and talking points on key preservation issues.
4) Join colleagues at the 38th Annual Maryland Preservation Awards hosted by the Maryland Historical Trust on January 31, 2013. The awards ceremony begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Governor Calvert Ballroom in the Governor Calvert House located at 58 State Circle, Annapolis. The event is free and open to the public, but advanced registration is required.
Your voice is crucial to funding these important programs. Thanks for your support!
Tyler Gearhart
How Important Are Year-end Gifts to Charities?
Has your mail just morphed from an avalanche of catalogs to solicitations from a mind-boggling
PM serves as a resource for the latest preservation techniques and regulations relating to their application.
number of worthy causes competing for your year-end charitable dollar? There are more than 20,000 non-profit institutions in Maryland alone, and it seems that nowadays every one of them is asking you to invest in their mission before the calendar is turned to the new year. No one has a crystal ball to predict what plunging over the “fiscal cliff” will feel like, or even if it will happen. But it does seem reasonable to assume that for many people, in 2013 the tax burden will increase, and the deductibility of philanthropic gifts will not.
Preservation Maryland is no exception. Our annual fund solicitation is underway. Here’s a sample of what a contribution to Preservation Maryland’s annual fund will help do:
• ensure that our historic resources have a voice in Annapolis when laws and regulations are being considered that affect their futures,
• continue providing educational tools and information to volunteer and professional preservationists through workshops, conferences, and tours
• sustain our Endangered Maryland program which raises awareness for our most threatened heritage properties and invites solutions to the threats they face
• perpetuate one of the only funding sources for local preservation projects
To donate on line, click here. Or, call us at 410-685-2886 to provide your credit card information. Checks may be mailed to our headquarters at 24 West Saratoga Street, Baltimore MD 21201. We’ll put your deductible-guaranteed gift to good use. Thank you for your support and, remember, the clock is ticking.
Louise Hayman
Help shape public policy and preserve Maryland’s heritage
Posted by Preservation Maryland in Advocacy, Advocacy Alert, Funding Programs on December 7, 2012
Wednesday, January 9, 2013 will mark the opening of the 433th session of the Maryland General Assembly. In an unusual turn of events, the General Assembly held two special sessions this past year. The first was to balance the budget including an income tax increase on six-figure earners, which was approved on May 16th. The second was to consider establishing a casino in Prince George’s County and legalizing table games, which were subsequently passed on August 15th.
Preservation Maryland, working with a coalition of statewide heritage interests and organizations, has developed a preservation agenda to guide advocacy efforts in Annapolis during the upcoming 2013 session.
Working together in this effort are representatives from: Archaeological Society of Maryland, Council for Maryland Archaeology, Greater Baltimore History Alliance, Main Street Maryland, Maryland Association of Historic District Commissions, Maryland Association of History Museums, Maryland Coalition of Heritage Areas, Maryland Commission on African American History & Culture, Maryland Higher Education Commission, Maryland Historical Society, Maryland Historical Trust, Maryland Humanities Council, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Governor O’Malley will submit his budget to the General Assembly in January. As always, we will be relying on your assistance to make sure that the final budget reflects the preservation priorities that protect and support our state’s unique heritage sites.
To learn more about how you can help shape public policy and preserve Maryland’s Heritage visit the Advocacy page of Preservation Maryland’s website.
Tyler Gearhart
Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater
Posted by Preservation Maryland in Advocacy, Preservation Stories on July 24, 2012
Bolton Hill, Baltimore
To its credit, the Baltimore Sun has published a series of investigate articles exposing gross errors by city and state administrators of various tax credit programs. The most recent was on Baltimore City’s Historic Tax Credit program.
Preservation Maryland helped fund a feasibility study that led to passage of the tax credit program by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore in 1996. The primary goal of the program was to create an incentive for the rehabilitation of Baltimore’s stock of historic residential and commercial buildings and tool for revitalizing its neighborhoods. In addition, it was intended to help stem Baltimore’s population loss and alleviate the city’s burdensome property tax rate, the highest in the state.
Here’s how the program works. To be eligible, a building must be individually landmarked or be a contributing structure within a Baltimore City or National Register historic district. The rehabilitation must be substantial and all work must conform to standards that preserve the historic and architectural integrity of the building. In return a 10 year credit is granted against the increased property tax assessment directly resulting from qualified rehabilitation.
American Brewery, Baltimore
To date, over 1200 historic buildings have been rehabilitated in Baltimore City using the tax credit, leveraging over $500 million of private investment. The benefits of the program are clear: renovated and reused buildings, revitalized communities, reuse of existing infrastructure, new jobs and businesses, and a substantial net increase in sales and income tax revenues for the City and the State.
Regrettably, there have been serious lapses by city and state tax assessors that have resulted in unearned credits or credits continuing beyond their 10 year period. Obviously, these problems need to be addressed. In addition, it was found nearly 30% of individuals that used the credit would have done their projects without the incentive. As a result, some have questioned whether or not continuation of the tax credit program is justified.
But I would argue that the 30% still deserve the credit and that it is well worth the investment for the additional 70% of projects that would not have occurred but for the credit. So fix the administrative problems, but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater by eliminating one of Baltimore’s most effective economic development and community revitalization programs.
Tyler Gearhart
The Tax Credit and Next Week’s Special Session
Posted by Preservation Maryland in Advocacy, Advocacy Alert on May 11, 2012
A special session of the General Assembly will begin on Monday. This Wednesday Governor Martin O’Malley, joined by Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch, laid out the outline of the proposed budget plan. This special session is to finish the work left from the regular General Assembly session. As you likely know, the session ended in April without passage of a budget that would have prevented the so-called “doomsday budget,” resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts from a wide spectrum of programs. Among these cuts would have been the Sustainable Communities Tax Credit for commercial projects.
We are happy to say that funding for the Sustainable Communities Tax Credit was included in the plan laid out on Wednesday. The Tax Credit is considered Maryland’s most effective historic preservation and community revitalization program, resulting in the rehabilitation of over 4,000 historic residential and commercial buildings while leveraging $1.6 billion of private investment. Losing this funding would be devastating to preservation efforts in Maryland.
So what can you do to help make sure this money stays in place during the special session? Let Governor O’Malley, President Mike Miller, and Speaker Michael Busch know that you appreciate their support of the Tax Credit and let your representatives know how important the Tax Credit is to Maryland’s historic resources. Please take a few moments to send them a note or call their offices. There are lots of issues on the table in the special session and we need to make sure our voices in support historic preservation are heard.
If you need material about the Tax Creidt’s benefits, you can find out more on our Advocacy Resources page and Economic Benefits page.
Jessica Feldt
